Research Accomplishment Reports 2008

Antioxidant Nutrients, Reactive Oxygen Species and Oxidative Stress

C.K. Chow
Department of Human Environmental Sciences

 

Non-Technical Summary

Antioxidant inadequacy and environmental agents cause oxidative stress, which contribute to the pathogenesis of many degenerative diseases. This project examines if antioxidant nutrients, individually or in combination, protect against oxidative damage resulting from environmental stress.

Project Description

Manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD), which catalyzes the dismutation of superoxide, is an important antioxidant enzyme in aerobic organisms. To determine the role of Mn-SOD in cellular antioxidant defense, we examined the oxidative and antioxidative status in the tissues of 16 week-old male transgenic mice that express increased level of Mn-SOD. Immediately after the mice were killed, heart, brain, kidney, lung, liver and skeletal muscle were processed to determine the degree of oxidative stress, and antioxidant status. The levels of lipid peroxidation products, thiobarbituric acid reactants, were significantly lower in the heart, liver, skeletal muscle, and kidney, but not in brain and lung, of Mn-SOD transgenic mice than their nontransgenic littermates. The levels of conjugated dienes and protein carbonyls were not significantly different between transgenic mice and their nontransgenic littermates in any organs examined.

Impact

The levels of GSH and vitamin E, and the activities of catalase, Cu-Zn-SOD, Se-GSH peroxidase, and non-Se-GSH peroxidase were not significantly different between transgenic mice and their nontransgenic littermates in any organs examined. The data suggest that alteration of Mn-SOD expression does not alter the status of other antioxidant systems, and that increased express of Mn-SOD may attenuate oxidative damage to membrane lipids.

Publications

Lobb, K. and C.K. Chow. Fatty acid classification and nomenclature. In Fatty Acids in Foods and Their Health Implications (C.K. Chow, ed.), 3rd ed., pp.1-15, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2008.

Chang, S.J. and C.K. Chow. Fatty acids in fermented food products. In Fatty Acids in Foods and Their Health Implications (C.K. Chow, ed.), 3rd ed., pp. 317-334, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2008.

Tatum, V. and C.K. Chow. Effects of processing and storage on fatty acids in edible oils. In Fatty Acids in Foods and Their Health Implications (C.K. Chow, ed.), 3rd ed., pp. 493-510. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2008.

Chang, S.J. and C.K. Chow. Consumption of fatty acids. In Fatty Acids in Foods and Their Health Implications (C.K. Chow, ed.), 3rd ed., pp. 545-559. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2008.

Chow, C.K. Biological effects of oxidized fatty acids. In Fatty Acids in Foods and Their Health Implications (C.K. Chow, ed.), 3rd ed., pp. 855-878, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2008.

Chow, C.K. The relative efficacy of lycopene and β-carotene in inhibiting experimental metastasis of human hepatoma SK-Hep1 cells in athymic nude mice. J. Nutr. 138: 2289-2289, 2008.

Chow, C.K. Plasma tocopherols and risk of cognitive impairment. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 88: 1447-1448, 2008.

Chow, C.K. Consumption of cured meats and risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Am. J, Clin. Nutr. 88:1703-1703, 2008.

Ibrahim W.H., C.K. Chow, H. M. Habib, and G. G. Bruckner Soy isoflavones reduce oxidative damage in mice liver. Int. J. Vitamins Nutr. Res., in press, 2008.

Ibrahim, W., V.L. Tatum, C.C. Yeh, C.B. Hong and C.K. Chow. Effect of dietary carnosine on oxidative stress and antioxidant status of rats. Int. J. Vitamins Nutr. Res., in press, 2008.

Chow, C.K. Current status and future prospect of health foods. Proc. 2nd Int. Conf. Sci. Tech., in press, 2008.

Chow, C.K. Role of vitamin E in cellular antioxidant defense. Current Chemical Biology, in press, 2008.

Chow, C.K. Editor, Fatty Acids in Foods and Their Health Implications (C.K. Chow, ed.), 3rd ed., pp. 1-1281, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2008.